questions about initial arrival at DLR

[riostoker]

I want to make sure I am maximizing my valuable morning rope drop time as much as I can, so I have a few questions about our first day arrival.

1) We will be arriving afternoon/evening one day and going to the parks the next. I bought tickets through TicketsAtWork, and I have an order confirmation that says it needs to be exchanged at any Main Entrance Ticket Window. So is that something I can do that first day we arrive even though we aren't entering a park that day? Or does it need to be done the next morning when we are entering the parks?

2) I ordered Photopass+. I have the voucher that I know I need to turn in to one of the camera shops to exchange for a lanyard or something. Is that really speedy? Can I do that at Rope Drop while the rest of my family walks to Peter Pan and then catch up with them? Or can I just hold off a bit and deal with that a little later in the day and get a regular photopass card if we take any pictures that morning?

Thanks!
Ann

 

[figment_jii]

2) I ordered Photopass+. I have the voucher that I know I need to turn in to one of the camera shops to exchange for a lanyard or something. Is that really speedy? Can I do that at Rope Drop while the rest of my family walks to Peter Pan and then catch up with them? Or can I just hold off a bit and deal with that a little later in the day and get a regular photopass card if we take any pictures that morning?

It was a fairly quick process when I got it the last time, but it all depends on whether there are others trying to pick-up the cards as well. If going to Peter Pan is your priority, I would just go do that and then get the lanyard later. Peter Pan is not the easiest queue to catch up with your party because much of it is only about one person wide. You really only need the lanyard for the attraction ride photos and the character meals. You can add regular PP cards to your account if you take photos before you get the lanyard.

 

[Girimama33]

I agree with Figment...go to PP and then worry about the PP+ card.

You should be able to exchange your tickets the night before. The ticket is not activated until it is scanned at the gate (turnstiles).

 

[chickapin parterre]

...at rope drop you will not be able to catch up with family at peter Pan, unless they truly do walk and are not knocked down in the furry of humanity. Inhuman is that Peter Pan mess at rope drop with stroller drop off, the chains not open and the line building to the castle, best to stick together if you are wanting to ride. And you speak of maximizing your time, having CM take your photos and with all the invisible character photo options, best to engage a CM when time is no longer of value and you truly do need to stop for air.

 

[Aladora]

I want to make sure I am maximizing my valuable morning rope drop time as much as I can, so I have a few questions about our first day arrival.

1) We will be arriving afternoon/evening one day and going to the parks the next. I bought tickets through TicketsAtWork, and I have an order confirmation that says it needs to be exchanged at any Main Entrance Ticket Window. So is that something I can do that first day we arrive even though we aren't entering a park that day? Or does it need to be done the next morning when we are entering the parks?

You can absolutely exchange the vouchers the evening before your first park day. We did exactly the same when we were down last month and it worked perfectly. Checked into the hotel, walked to the ticket window, exchanged the vouchers and then had dinner in DTD.

 

[Winnowill]

You really only need the lanyard for the attraction ride photos and the character meals. You can add regular PP cards to your account if you take photos before you get the lanyard.

And note that, as long as you have the picture number on a ride photo, you can add it any time within about the next 24 hours by going back to the photo desk at that ride with your lanyard.

1) We will be arriving afternoon/evening one day and going to the parks the next. I bought tickets through TicketsAtWork, and I have an order confirmation that says it needs to be exchanged at any Main Entrance Ticket Window. So is that something I can do that first day we arrive even though we aren't entering a park that day? Or does it need to be done the next morning when we are entering the parks?

Yes, you can do it the night before you're planning to enter the parks. That said, it's just as easy to do it in the morning while the rest of your party lines up at the gates - you can join them in line when you're done.

 

[millie0312]

Just wanted to note if you are doing an early morning the camera shops won't be open yet. If there is an initial line, go back when there isn't one. We went about an hour after the actual park opened on a fairly busy weekend day and it took just a few minutes (later the line was at least 30-40 mins long). Before we exchanged our voucher we just collected the pp cards the photographer gave us or took a photo of our ride photo with number on it- they can add the cards into your pp+ and go back to the ride and they will add your photo as long as it's the same day.

 

[texasgingerbread]

would you need to go back and have them add the cards they give you before you got the lanyard? At WDW you can just enter the code online on your PP page? Just curious if you can skip this step because this is exactly what I'm doing. Thanks!

 

[ADLFAN]

would you need to go back and have them add the cards they give you before you got the lanyard? At WDW you can just enter the code online on your PP page? Just curious if you can skip this step because this is exactly what I'm doing. Thanks!

Yup, you will be able to enter those extra Photopass cards online when you get back home!

Have fun!

 

[texasgingerbread]

Have fun!

Thank you!!

 

[millie0312]

would you need to go back and have them add the cards they give you before you got the lanyard? At WDW you can just enter the code online on your PP page? Just curious if you can skip this step because this is exactly what I'm doing. Thanks!

If you have them in hand it's really easy to have them add them to your pp when you do the exchange. After a couple mix ups on our photos we like to check and make sure at the end of the day our photos are all on there (don't want to take a chance and wait and have it lost somehow). I think it took dh less then 5 mins to exchange and add our handful of cards when he went in.

 

[riostoker]

...at rope drop you will not be able to catch up with family at peter Pan, unless they truly do walk and are not knocked down in the furry of humanity. Inhuman is that Peter Pan mess at rope drop with stroller drop off, the chains not open and the line building to the castle, best to stick together if you are wanting to ride. And you speak of maximizing your time, having CM take your photos and with all the invisible character photo options, best to engage a CM when time is no longer of value and you truly do need to stop for air.

Yes... it is not likely we would stop to waste time taking pics while trying to maximize ride time in the morning, but you never know... our favorite character might just pop out with absolutely no line right as we are walking past... also wanted to make sure I didn't mess up any ride photo options if I didn't get the lanyard right away.

Thanks for all the advice everyone! Sounds like I'll just skip getting the lanyard initially and just grab it later in the day when I get a chance.